Wire-fence machine.



P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY a, 1903. RENEWED D110. 15, 1911.

1,047,292. I I Patented Dec.17,1912.

l6 BHEETS-SHEET 11 P. A. & w. v. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 3, 190a. RENEWED D50. 15, 1911.

1,047,292, Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

16 SHEETSSHEET 2.

P. A. & W. V. REID.

. WIRE FENCE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1908. RENEWED DBO. 15, 1911.

1 ,O4;'7,292, Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

81 wcwi'o'ca,

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-JWASHINUTON, D- C.

P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 190a. RENEWED DEG. 15, 1911.

1,047,292, Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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N G) "N w gvwem fozs COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 110., WASHINGTON, D. c.

1?.A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE. I APPLIOATION'I'ILED JULY 3, 1908. RENEWED DBO.15, 1911.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 190a. RENEWED DEO.15, 1911.

1,047,292. Patented Dec.17,1912.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY s, 1908. RENEWED DEC. 15, 1911. 1,047,292.. Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

. 1e sums-sum '1.

P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MAGHINE.

APPLIOATION nun JULY 2.. 190a. RENEWED DBO. 15, 1911. I

1,047,292. Patented De0.17,1912.

16 SHEETSSHEET 8.

o 0 I 111i P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APELIOATION FILED JULY 3, 190a. RENEWED DEO.15, 1911.

1,047,292. Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

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P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1908. RENEWED DEC. 15, 1911.

1,047,292, Patented Dec. 17,1912.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 10.

COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON. u. C.

P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENGE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 190a. RENEWED nm'w, 1911.

1,047,292. Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 11.

Q/WMQ P. A. -& W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MAOHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY a, 1908. RENEWED DEO.15, 1911.

1,047,292, Patented Dec.17, 1912.

l6 SHEETS-SHEET 12.

COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH co.,wAsHlNuTON. D, c.

- 1?. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MAGHINE. APPLICATION FILE 1D JULY 3, 1908. RENEWED DEC. 15, 1911.

Patented D60. 17, 1912.

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P. A. & w. v. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 190a. RENEWED mo. 16. 1911.

Patented Dec. 17,1912,

ISHTS-SHEET 14.

If ow 2% mica mag i )Vitmeaqeo COLUMBIA PLANouRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 190a. RENEWED 11110. 15, 1911.

1,047,292, I Patented Dc. 17, 1912.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 15.

Wane/we o V 5] vewfo'cs {m I P. A. & W. V. REID.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 190a. RENEWED 13110.15, 1911.

1,047,292, Patented Dec. 17,1912.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 16.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETTIS A. REID AND WALTER V. REID, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA; SAID WALTER V. REID ASSIGNOR TO SAID PETTIS A. REID.

WIRE-FENCE MACHINE.

Application filed July 3, 1908, Serial No. 441,815.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that we, PETTIS A. REID and WVALTEI; V. REID, citizens of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Fence Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for manufacturing wire fabric or fencing, more particularly square mesh fencing composed of longitudinal wires or strands with attached cross wires or stays.

The general objects of the invention are: first, to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efficiency of the machine exhibited in our pending application Serial No. 262,966, filed May 29, 1905; second, to provide an upright compact machine that will occupy a relatively small floorspace as compared with former machines which lie flatwise; third, to provide certain improvements in the fabric-weaving or stayapplying mechanism disclosed in our aforesaid application, and certain improvements in correlated mechanisms; and fourth, to provide for convenient adjustment of the spacing between the strands.

A fence-machine embodying our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification.

The invention will be first fully described with reference to said drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a right-hand side elevation of the fence-machine. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the drive pulley with its friction-clutch. Fig. 3 is a side view of said drive-pulley. Fig. 4 is a left-hand side elevation of the fence-machine. Fig. 5 is a vertical sect-ion of the machine. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the machine with parts broken away and parts in section. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the series of twisters or coilers. Fig. ,8 is a detail side view of one twister. Fig. 9 is aperspective view of the twister, showing its looping tool engaging the stay-wire and pulling it around the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Renewed December 15, 1911. Serial No. 666,038.

strand so as to form a loop. Fig.10 is a similar view showing the release of the loo-ping tool from the loop. Fig. 11 is a side view of a reverse twister and its reversing gears. Fig. 12 is a plan thereof. Fig. 13 is a plan view of a bracket and lever for holding the end of the stay-wire after it has been fed across the strands. Fig. 14: is a side view of the same. Fig. 15 is a righthand view of the beater shaft, showing an arm thereon for bending the end of the stayfeed-wire into the face-slot of the first twister. Fig. 16 is a face view of the bedplate on which the pillow-blocks of the twister-spindles are mounted. Fig. 17 is a plan of the same with the pillow-blocks attached. Fig. 18 is a front view of the three caps shown on the pillow-blocks at the left hand end of Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a crosssection of the aforesaid bed-plate, showing a pillow-block attached. Fig. 20 shows the caps which are detached from the pillowblock in Fig. 19. Figs. 21 and 22 are side and front views of one style of pillow-block. Figs. 23 and 24 are corresponding views of another style of pillow-block. Figs. 25 and 26 are corresponding views of a third style of pillow-block. Fig. 27 is an end view of one of the separable guide-tubes for guiding the stay-feed-wire as it is fed across the strands, showing also the bracket on which said guide-tube is mounted. Fig. 28 is a plan. of said guide-tube. Fig. 29 is a back-view of the bracket shown in Fig. 27. Fig. 80 is a. side view of one of the pusherarms or devices for pushing the stay-wire laterally from the guide-tubes and placing it against the strands, together with the actuating mechanism for said devices. Fig. 31 is a front view of a number of. said pusher-arms. Fig. 32 is a side View of one of the beaters for holding the stay-wire against or upon the faces of the twisterheads, together with the actuating mechanism for said beaters Fig. 33 is a plan view of one beater-arm. Fig. 3a is a side view thereof, with a part broken away. Fig. 35 is a side view of the middle wire-cutter and its actuating mechanism. Fig. 36 is a top view of said cutter, with a part broken away. Fig. 37 is a detail view of the cutter blade. Fig. 38 is a detail of a small plate or lug which is fastened on the side of the cutter blade and serves to bend one end of the severed stay-wire into the face-opening of the adjacent twister. Fig. 39 is a side view of the end wire-cutter and its actuating mechanism. Fig. 40 is a front view of said cutter. Fig. 41 is a detail of the movable cutter blade. Fig. 42 is a top view of a section of the clamp-drum, with parts omitted. Fig. 43 is a transverse section through a sector of the drum. Fig. 44 is a horizontal section of a part of the drum. Fig. 45 is a front view of a part of one of the crimp-bars and its tracker-bar. Fig. 46 is a perspective view of the left-hand tracker-cam, showing how the tracker-bar which is revolving in the direction indicated by the arrow is shoved endwise toward the right. Fig. 47 is a perspective View of the right hand tracker-cam, showing how the tracker-bar is shoved endwise toward the left. Fig. 48 is a plan view representing a portion of a strand-wire and adjacent crimp-lugs, and showing one crimp-bar with its tracker-bar, and a fragment of the right-hand trackercam which has shoved the tracker-bar to ward the left and thereby carried the strandwire under said crimp-lugs. Fig. 49 is a similar view showing a fragment of the left-hand tracker-cam which has shoved the tracker-bar toward the right and thereby carried the strand-wire from under said crimp-lugs. Fig. 50 is a face view of the left-hand tracker-cam, with dotted lines indicating some of the crimp-bars and the cams for moving said crimp-bars radially outward. Fig. 51 is a rear elevation of said left-hand tracker-cam. Fig. 52 is a view similar to Fig. 50 of the right-hand trackercam. Fig. 53 is a front elevation of said right-hand tracker-cam.

General arrangement.As shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6, two upright housings or standards, constituting the sides of the machineframe, support therebetween the fabricweaving, feeding and reeling mechanisms, and provide bearings for transverse shafting, including a main drive shaft A.

At the lower front of the machine are a series of shive-wheels B, fixed on a conr mon shaft so as to turn in unison. The strand-wires, coming from any suitably arranged number of supply-spools (not shown), are first passed around or caused to encircle the shive-wheels, for the purpose of guiding and tensioning said wires against the pull of the revoluble clamp-drum.

Above the shaft A, at the front of the machine, are the vertically-disposed twisterspindles C of the fabric-weaving mecha nism, through which the strand-wires are threaded, and by means of which the stays or cross-wires are successively affixed to the strands. See Figs. 5 and 6. In the type of weaving mechanism herein selected for illustrating our invention, the stays are supplied by successively feeding and cutting a continuous stay-feed-wire, which is fed across the strands by coacting feed-rolls F mounted at one side of the machine (Fig. 4). Said stayfeed-wire is fed through an alined series of separable guide-tubes G, from which it is removed and placed adjacent to the strands by a number of pusher-arms H, and then pressed and held against the faces of the twisters or coilers by a series of beaters I.

Mounted at the top of the machine, above the fabric-weaving mechanism, is a revoluble clamp-drum D, over which the fabric is drawn. This drum is provided with devices for gripping the strands, enabling the drum to pull up the fabric as the stays are successively applied, thus intermittently feeding the strands. Said gripping devices also serve to crimp the strands.

At the back and base of the machine is the winding-reel E, to which the fabric passes from the clamp-drum D, and by means of which it is wound into a bundle or roll.

It will be observed that the machine is very compact and substantially upright in form, whereby it occupies comparatively little floor-space.

Power and 00ntr0Z.As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, power is applied by a belt (not shown) at pulley A on the power-shaft A and is transmitted by pinion A gear A pinion A and gear A to the main driveshaft A, which directly or indirectly operates the several mechanisms of the machine. Control of power, enabling the operator to start and stop instantly, is provided by a friction-clutch in connect-ion with pulley A (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). As shown, an expansible friction-ring a, the same being a split or divided ring, is carried by a hub keyed on the power-shaft. This friction-ring a is adapted to revolve freely with a loose running fit in the flange or rim of pulley A Said friction-ring carries a'friction-applying lever a whose free end is provided with a roller a and whose fulcrummed end has a short tailpiece a The friction-ring also carries an adjusting-key a having a beveled or inclined end. engaging the tail-piece a Adjustment of the key or wedge member a is regulated by a set-screw at its other end. A grooved slip-collar o loose on the power shaft, has a laterally-projecting wedge a which works in a slot in the hub of the frictio-n-ring and with its inclined side under the roller a whereby lateral adjustment of the slip-collar a will control expansion and contraction of the friction-ring, so as to clutch or release the pulley A Said slipcollar is engaged by a yoke or fork a carried by a spindle a which is journaled in a bearing a. A clutch-controlling lever a is rigidly attached to the spindle a The free end of saidlever is shown connected by 1-.

a pivot-bolt a to a shift-bar a arranged at the front of the machine. By this means, the operator can conveniently control the power from either side or at any position 5 along the front of the machine, by shifting the bar or rod a.

Distribution of pwer.-Shaft A operates the coiler-spindles C by means of a series of drive-wheels C (Figs. 5 and 6). It also op- 10 crates by means of cams other instrumentalities associated with or forming part of the fabric-weaving mechanism, including the stay-wire positioning devices and cut ters, as will more fully appear.

At one side of the machine (Fig. 1) shaft A communicates intermittent motion to the clamp-drum D by means of a cam D on said shaft. Said cam D controls a lever D carrying a roller which rests on said cam; and

said lever D is connected by a link D to a dog-carrying lever D loosely mounted on the drum-shaft. As rocking motion is thus imparted to the lever D*, the drum D is revolved step by step by the dog D engaging a ratchet-wheel D on one of the drumjournals. The drum is prevented from re verse turning by a spring-controlled detent or pawl D At the opposite sides of the machine (Fig.

4:), the drum-journal is provided with a pulley E and motion is communicated therefrom by a belt E to a reel-pulley E The on-going run of the belt E is slack, but the slack is taken up by a belt-tightener pulley 15" carried by a swinging arm or lever E which is loosely mounted on the shaft of the reel-pulley E The inclination of the arm E allows the belt-tightening pulley E to rest of its own weight upon the slack run of the belt. The reel E is thereby driven from the drum D, but at a quicker speed, the pulley E being larger than the pulley E so that the reel will wind the fabric and pull it taut as fast as it is delivered from the drum; at the same time the reel can vary its rotation to compensate for the increasing diameter of the roll or bundle thereon, or the reel will stop when the slack in the fab lie is taken up, since the tension of the strands will cause the reel-pulley E to slip in the belt E the slack run of the latter bearing up against the idler E Reverse rotation of the reel is prevented by the ratchet-wheel E engaged by a detent or pawl E At the same side (Fig. t), shaft A transmits motion to the stay-wire feedrolls F by a segmental gear F adapted to engage intermittently the beleved pinion F on a shaft F which is connected by gears F with one of the feed-roll spindles f, said spindles being intergeared at F to revolve the feed-rolls oppositely for feeding the stay-wire. The other feed-roll spindle f is mounted in an adjustable or rocking bearing f from which extends a lever f and a spring 1" acts on said lever to hold the feedrolls forcibly but yieldingly together. Said spring f is arranged between the lever f and a projection or post f on another lever j, the latter being provided with a roller f which rides on a cam f made on or as a part of the segmental gear-wheel B. At each period of feed, the cam f lifts the roller f and thereby compresses the spring f and causes the feed-rolls F to positively grip the stay-feed-wire with great pressure during the interval of feed; after which the roller f is dropped and the feed-rolls are held together by .the normal power of the spring f so that the wire can be jerked or 0 pulled inward by the coilers or twisters to furnish the additional lengths required for successively coiling around the respective strands, as explained in said pending application Serial No. 262,966. 5

From the foregoing, it is noted that the strand-wires are fed step-by-step by the intermittently-revolving clamp-drum D, while the stay-supply-wire is also fed intermittently across the strands. Preferably these v9.0 feeds are timed to occur simultaneously, leaving the interim for the coiling or stayattaching operation, and thus using the time to best advantage.

F aorta-wearing mechanismrflvhile this invention in a broad aspect is not intended to be limited to any particular mechanism for making the fencing-fabric, or attaching the stays to the strands, we have adopted as a preferred type, and have selected for illustration herein, a wire-weaving mechanism of the character set forth in our said pending application Serial No. 262,966, the same having been modified to adapt it to this machine and improved generally and in various particulars as a part of our present invention.

As shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, said mechanism comprises a series of rotary twisters or coilers through which the strand-wires are threaded; said twisters being timed to begin their operations progressively or one after another and adapted to form loops in the transversely-placed stay-wire and coil or twist said loops around the corresponding strands; excepting the marginal or first and last twisters which simply wrap or coil the ends of the stay-Wire around the outer strands, that is the top and bottom strands of the fence. The purpose of this progres- 1 20 sive action of the series is to enable one twister or coiler to draw out the needful extra length of stay-wire to form a loop before effective operation of the next twister begins, thus avoiding breakage. As the 1 1i strands are intermittently drawn through the twisters, a continuous stay-feed-wire is successively fed across and placed against the strands, in position for engagement by the twisters; and at each operation the 13 length of stay-feed-wire so fed is attached to the strands and severed, thus making a stay. Associated with the twisters are a series of separable guide-tubes for guiding the stay-feed-wire across the strands; a series of pushers or devices for removing the stay-feed-wire from said guide-tubes and placing it adjacent to the strands; and a series of beaters or devices for pressing said stay-feedwvire against the faces of the twister-heads; also a cutter for severing the stay from the main length of its feed-wire.

The above general description applies more particularly to a machine for making a single width of fencing. It should be stated, however, that the drawings hereto attached show what is termed a double .machine, that is a machine for making simultaneously two separate widths of fencing; although the mechanism may be so altered and adjusted as to make a single fencing ofvarious widths as well as with different spacing between adjacent strands. For this reason two stay-wire cutters are employed, designated M and N. One cutter M is located mid-wise and the other cutter N is located adjacent to the last twister next the in-feed of the stay-feed-wire (left hand side of the illustrated machine). While the who-1e number of twisters constitute a progressively-operating series, the middle knife M divides them into two groups each of which may be considered as a series for a single width of fencing, and each group of which has its own marginal or first and last twisters. The stays for both widths of fencing are supplied by the same stay-feed-wire which at each operation is fed by the feedrolls F clear across the entire number of strands and is afterward severed into two lengths by the cutters M and N.

In the present machine the fabric-weaving mechanism is shown in an upright position, as befo-restated, and below the front surface of the pull-up drum D, so that the strandwires drawn taut over said drum from the shive-rolls B are threaded vertically through the twister-spindles C.

The device for guiding and positioning the stay-feed-wire are similar to those disclosed in said application Serial No. 262,966. These devices consist of the funnel-mouthed separable guide-tubes G for guiding the stay-feed-wire as it is fed across the strands (Figs. 5, 6 and 27) the pushers or pusherarms H, carried by a rocker-shaft H (Figs. 5, 6, 30 and 31), for displacing the stay-feedwire laterally from said guide-tubes and moving it within reach of the beaters or beater-arms I, carried by a rocker-shaft I (Figs. 5, 6 and 32), for pressing and holding the stay-feed-wire against the faces of the coiler-heads c. As seen in Fig. 5, the guide-tubes G are shown arranged behind the strands; the rocker-shaft H above and the rocker-shaft I in front of the coilerheads. This is a preferred arrangement tho-ugh not essential to our invention.

The guide-tubes G, as shown in Figs. 6 and 31, are arranged in an alined series with their funnel-shaped mouths disposed to receive the stay-feed-wire the latter is fed across the strands from the feed-rolls F (Figs. 4 and 6). As shown in detail in Figs. 27, 28 and 31, each guidetube is composed of two half-tubes, one afliXed to the bracket G and the other carried by an arm 9 hinged o-r pivoted to said bracket and having a tail-lever engaged by a retractile spring 9 whereby the half-tubes are held yieldingly closed, but are adapted to open to allow the wire to be displaced or pushed laterally therefrom.

The transferrers or pusher-arms H are arranged to operate between adjacent guidetubes, as shown in Figs. 30 and 31. While the stay-feectwire is being fed through the guide-tubes, the pusher-arms are disposed behind said wire, but at the proper period said arms are moved forward by the rockershaft H so as to displace the wire laterally and place it adjacent to said strands. The rocker-shaft H is operated from the main shaft A by a cam H (Figs. 1, 6 and 30) controlling a lever H which is connected by a link H to an arm H on the rocker-shaft H The cam H is or may be made on or attached to the drive gear A at one side of the machine (Figs. 1 and 6).

The beater-arms I, one of which is shown in detail in Figs. 32, 33 and 34, are respectively arranged to operate directly upon the faces of the twister-heads 0, and the acting faces of said beater-arms are provided with wire against the twister-heads while yet al-' lowing the looping tools of the coilers to revolve around said circular lugs. The ends of the beater-arms, including the beater-lugs 2', are notched or bifurcated to straddle the strand-wires. The beater-arms are raised off the twister-heads as shown in Fig. 32 until the stay-feed-wire is fed across and placed against the strands, whereupon the rocker-shaft I forces the heaters down upon the faces of the twister-heads, pressing the wire thereagainst. The rocker-shaft I is operated from shaft A by a cam I which controls an intermediately-fulcriuned lever I (Figs. 5, 6 and 32), the lower arm of said lever I having a roller engaged by said cam,

and the upper arm of said lever being con- 

